Israeli forces detain 12 Palestinians across the West Bank

BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) -- Israeli forces detained at least 12 Palestinians between Monday evening and Tuesday morning in the occupied West Bank, according to Palestinian and Israeli sources.

On Monday evening, Israeli police spokeswoman Luba al-Samri said Israeli forces stopped a Palestinian vehicle near the northern occupied West Bank village of Yutma south of Nablus and arrested two Palestinians after finding a rifle in the vehicle. The two were taken into custody for questioning.

A statement from the Palestinian Prisoner's Society (PPS) documented six Palestinians who were detained in overnight raids before dawn on Tuesday.

According to a statement, in the southern Bethlehem district, Israeli forces detained two 14-year-old boys, identified as Issa Yousif Taqatqa and Abed Sultan Taqatqa from the village of Beit Fajjar.

An Israeli army spokesperson confirmed two detentions were made in Beit Fajjar.

The spokesperson also noted a number of detentions were made in the northern occupied West Bank. In the Jenin district, one Palestinian was detained in the village of Meithalun, one was detained in the village of Qabatiya, and one in the city of Jenin. In the Tulkarem district, one Palestinian was detained in the village of Dhinnaba.

The PPS statement identified two detainees in the Jenin district -- Muamin Said Kamil and Yousif Salah -- and said that 18-year-old Muhammad Kamil Tawfiq Hakim was detained in Tulkarem, while 19-year-old Ali Masimi was detained in Nablus.

In the southern occupied West Bank district of Hebron, the army also said that one Palestinian was detained in the village of Tarqumiya in overnight raids.

Separately, al-Samri said in a statement that two Palestinians were arrested Tuesday morning in Tulkarem for travelling in a stolen vehicle with forged license plates.

According to al-Samri, the vehicle was carrying 14 sheep she said were "suspected to be stolen".

She identified the two Palestinian detainees as residents of the Jenin area, aged 24 and 32.

Al-Samri added that they did not have permits to enter Israel, though it was not clear from the statement whether the two were trying to go to Israel.

According to prisoners rights group Addameer, some 7,000 Palestinians were imprisoned by Israel as of October.